Nursing Commons^™

Educational Materials And Brief Counseling Improve Diabetes Knowledge And Self-Efficacy, Tamara K. Wellman

DNP Projects

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to see if education and counseling of the Appalachian individual with diabetes and a family member/friend would improve knowledge of the disease and self-efficacy of the patient in regard to their diabetes care.

Setting: The setting was one of eight primary care offices of Our Lady of Bellefonte Hospital, Bon Secours, located in the Ashland, Kentucky.

Design: A pilot study of descriptive, comparative design was used.

Subjects: Data were collected from a convenience sample of patients with type 2 diabetes (n=15) that were established at the primary care office and their family members/friends …

Evaluating Discharge Readiness Of Patients At A Primary Stroke Center, Amanda Green

DNP Projects

The diagnosis of stroke is very prevalent in healthcare and it is estimated that someone in the United States suffers from a stroke every 40 seconds (Lloyd-Jones et al., 2009). In order to optimally prepare these patients for discharge and improve patient outcomes, it is important to understand the needs of the patient and caregiver and to meet these needs. In order to evaluate this, the focus of this project was to evaluate the discharge readiness of patients at a primary stroke center. “Discharge Needs of the Stroke Patient and Caregiver” focuses on a review of the literature in order …

Predicting The Risk Of Obstructive Sleep Apnea And Difficult Endotracheal Intubation In A Surgical Population In A Rural Community Hospital Setting, Craig S. Atkins

DNP Projects

Purpose:

The purpose of this paper is to provide a theoretical framework with practical application for facilitating patient flow through the operative process using the Lean philosophy to minimized delays and cancellations.

Theoretical orientation:

Efficient, quality patient care has always been the hallmark of Nurse Anesthetist practice. Lean healthcare introduces continuous quality improvement (CQI) processes used in Lean manufacturing to the healthcare system. The principal aspect of Lean healthcare is the concept of a value stream where work is standardized, work flow is streamlined and waste is eliminated, thus creating value.

Nature of Review:

In the surgical suite waits, delays …

Tobacco Treatment In College Health, Joanne Brown

DNP Projects

ABSTRACT: Tobacco Treatment in College Health

The college years are a critical time in the development of smoking behavior and tobacco use. Smoking is linked to 30% of cancer deaths, 80% of deaths from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and early cardiovascular disease and death. Effective treatment interventions at this time provide an opportunity to drastically reduce premature morbidity and mortality.

This document follows the progression from the discussion of the problem to evaluation of an intervention. The first manuscript is a review of existing literature on Internet interventions with young adults, including methodology, theoretical frameworks and outcome measures for tobacco …

An Evidence-Based Toolkit For Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Education Of Female Adolescents In The School Setting, Nancy R. Kloha

DNP Projects

A new vaccine to prevent human papillomavirus infection was approved in 2006 in the United States (U.S.). Uptake of the vaccine has been less than optimal (CDC, 2010c). New venues for promoting vaccine acceptance are needed (Middleman & Tung, 2010). The goal of this capstone clinical project is to create an evidence based toolkit for use by school nurses in educating female adolescents, parents, communities and other healthcare providers about the HPV vaccine.

Schools nurses have daily access to young people in the target group for HPV immunization. A vital component of vaccine acceptance is education of those who are …

A Systematic Approach To Manage Clinical Deterioration On Inpatient Units In The Health Care System, Colleen H. Swartz

DNP Projects

The transformation of health care delivery in the United States is accelerating at unbelievable speed. The acceleration is a result of many variables including health care reform as well as the covariation occurring with adjustments in regulations related to resident work hours. The evolving care delivery model has exposed a vulnerability of the health system, specifically in academic medical centers of the United States. Academic medical centers have established a care delivery model grounded and predicated in resident presence and performance. With changes in resident work expectations and reduced time spent in hospitals, an urgent need exists to evaluate and …

Evaluation Of Testing And Implementation Of Evidence-Based Rn Bedside Swallow Screen For Dysphagia: A Clinical Practice Change, Edith Matesic

DNP Projects

Stroke patients initially experience dysphagia approximately 42 - 67% of the time with noted improvement reducing rates to approximately 43% at seven days post-acute event (Perry & Love, 2001). The dysphagia experienced by these patients makes them at high risk to develop aspiration pneumonia. Overall, the financial impact of reducing aspiration pneumonia reduces the national cost of morbidity, mortality, and disability burden in this population. There is no generally recognized swallow screen. Program evaluation objectives were to establish a valid, reliable, cost effective, and easy to administer evidence RN bedside swallow screen for dysphagia to keep acute stroke patients safe …

Self Reported Pain Diary For Assessment Of Chronic Pain In The Communicative, Cognitively Intact Nursing Home Resident, Kathy K. Hager

DNP Projects

This paper describes a clinical project using a self-reported pain diary for the assessment of chronic pain in the communicative, cognitively-intact nursing home resident. There are estimates of chronic pain among nursing home residents that range from 4 – 83%. The goal of this clinical project was to evaluate a chronic pain diary in relation to its effectiveness and efficiency in accurately assessing pain among nursing home residents. Assessment has been identified as a major barrier in the control of chronic pain, and the self-report is accepted as the most reliable measure of a person’s pain. The self-reported pain diary’s …